So… I weirdly find myself unable to make even one line on a drawing I want to do

[JoshRaed]

Like it feels awkward for them to be standing up for this moment, but also awkward for them to be sitting down for this moment, for some reason I have no idea which line would be the first line/where i’d put that line, and also I have no idea how they characters are going to be posed body-wise and I generally can’t visualize what this moment is even going to look like. I just know that it will involve a scary bug monster in a big hoodie drinking a blood pouch like a capri-sun, with his human-passing bug monster boyfriend being there also, and it’s like a cozy intimate moment.

How do I get through this? Do I just arbitrarily pick a way for this scene to be arranged and go with it? Is there some reason why this is happening that I don’t know about?

[moontokkym]

• try to imagine in your head that you are a cameraman in the scene. Freeze the action and walk around it, trying to work out what angle would work best for what you're trying to convey.
• look for reference poses to help you visualise them
• make several sketch attempts for different compositions on the side, doesn't have to be clean, just block out the general shapes of the decor and characters
• if you're talking about an entre sequence, make a storyboard for your page/sequence. It'll help you order and size your panels once you get to the real thing

[thepenmonster]

How do I get through this?

You push through and do it even if the result is shit.

Do I just arbitrarily pick a way for this scene to be arranged and go with it?

Whatever gets the job done.

Is there some reason why this is happening that I don’t know about?

You're a newbie with an empty toolbox and empty mental library and you don't know how to do things yet. That can change but it's entirely down to the effort you put in.

[TheSingularitySeed]

Try acting out the scene. Film yourself doing it if you can.

I always act out my scenes when I get stuck. Just feeling the motion can give you a good idea of how to draw it.
And ofc the film lets you see things through a different perspective. I find some surprisingly good poses like that.

Do multiple takes with your different ideas for the scene and you'll start to see and feel what works best for you.

[Lensing]

Use reference of bugs, monsters,drawings of bugs, how do other artists draw monsters.
Draw a lot. It takes time until it doesn´t look weird anymore.

First thing I always do is some quick studies of references that I like.
Monster bug. It´s always good to put some quick shapes or big strokes
on the canvas so you overcome the fear of doing something wrong

[river121693]

referene referene reference!

[JoshRaed]

I tried looking on r/wholesomeyaoi and nothing seemed to really fit.

[Kelheor]

Make a few sketches. Find references of people hugging, snuggling, being close, you don't necessarily need two men for a ref. Find an app where you can pose mannequins, make some poses and rotate the camera around.

[Legendofgenii]

As everyone has suggested above, you need to fill your head with information which you can then access when drawing.

So study some comics, watch movies & TV shows, gather images/photo references (or pose to make your own if you can’t find what you are looking for) etc.

Confidence comes with practice, so the more you draw and try things out, the better you will get at it.

[NickRowler]

I think what I find helpful is getting a scrap piece of paper and a pencil and just doodle. Draw 5 or 10 possible poses. Even include ones where you push yourself or might seem a bit odd at first. Also look up references on Google or see how your favorite artist draws a similar scene.

If you need antro-bug references. I recommend General Grievous from Star Wars and Francoeur from Monster in Paris.

[TheLemmaLlama]

IIRC you're a digital artist, so literally just make some random ainless marks/scribbles on your canvas and delete them; do this a few times until you've shaken off the drawing inertia

Something else that might help is to start in the middle of a huge canvas; when you draw the first line, you're not deciding whether that line is at the top/bottom/left/right of your drawing, because you can always crop it in a fitting way later. Sometimes the rectangle of your canvas itself can feel intimidating because making a line carries with it the weight of choosing your composition - so just draw in the middle of an endless white void instead

[JoshRaed]

Here are the two characters in question.

[Lensing]

Does any of the advice help you? Have you tried out some of the stuff?
I´m never sure because you never like anything that people suggest

[Kelheor]

Can you use two of them? I mean, you don't necessarily have to use them at all, but when you try to pose two people, it would be much more useful to use two mannequins. So you can see how they interact with each other.

[JoshRaed]

Sorry the app charges money for things like that, and even expects me to subscribe to it for that.

[JoshRaed]

The advice helps, and i’m probably going to try most of the things here.

[margodraws]

The poses look pretty simple; why not use a couple of dolls or action figures and just take some photos?

[JoshRaed]

I actually forgot that the desktop version of this app let’s you pose characters together, and I did it before.

I don’t get what’s so wrong with making that available to mobile users. Is there some law stating that all apps on your cell phone must be scummy and cash-hungry?

[JoshRaed]

`

[Mallory]

I'm going to gently suggest that until you're comfortable drawing human bodies from life, you should stay away from the 3D models, especially for complicated stuff like multiple bodies interacting. Human bodies are dynamic - many joints can shift up or down depending on the movement; they never articulate through just one joint, as every movement typically causes a ripple effect through the rest of your body as your brain re-adjusts your balance and posture. 3D models do not have this feedback, and their skeleton is usually much more rigid than a human body, not allowing joints (like the shoulder joint, which is part of a girdle that sits over your rib cage) to move to accommodate flexing muscle etc. 3D models are a useful tool when you know how to draw a body freehand, and just let the model stand in for the rough sketch, which you then adjust for inconsistencies. But they will make learning to draw better - more dynamic, more natural interactions - really, REALLY hard if you don't know what to look for.

Here's a reference image instead (from google image query "men walking hand on shoulder"):

Notice how the center of balance - and gravity - for both men is closer to the other man, compared to where it would normally be if they were standing alone? That's because standing with your arm out (to place on another person's shoulder) actually throws your off-balance, so you naturally lean into that shoulder to re-distribute some of the weight. You can also see that the shoulders of the man with his arm across the shoulders of the other are also canted, as the shoulder joint itself rides up a little bit as the muscles moving it flex.

If you're stuck on a pose, it's always better to find a reference photo, or ask someone to help you pose (I have lots of photos and videos of my husband sitting, standing, getting up from an awkward angle, etc). You can go back to the 3D models once you feel comfortable with their limitations.